Happily Ever After
by Raquelita
Summary: DG tugged self-consciously at a strand of hair that had come loose from her bun. She was staring at herself in the mirror…how could she feel so torn apart inside and yet look so put together? She was about to marry another man. CainDG oneshot


**A/N: bored and thought I'd write a little bit of angsty/romantic drabble…**

DG tugged self-consciously at a strand of hair that had come loose from her bun. She was staring at herself in the mirror, trying to figure out who her reflection was. It couldn't possibly be her … she couldn't feel so torn apart yet look so put together. The train of her satin wedding gown fanned out behind her, perfect down to the last bit of silver stitching. She knew that today she was living out the dream of thousands, maybe even millions of girls on the other side. She was a princess marrying her prince. It was a classic fairytale, and even DG had to admit that a part of her was happy. She supposed it was the part that had gotten swept up in wedding plans and catering menus. It wasn't typically her thing, but the enthusiasm of her mother had certainly rubbed off over the past few months. If she didn't stop and really consider what she was doing she could trick herself into thinking that she was getting exactly what she wanted – and that happily ever after was about to be real.

Just then she heard someone clear their throat at the doorway. Turning, she saw Wyatt Cain looking at her in a way that made her heart skip a beat.

"You look beautiful Princess," he said gruffly. But there was no warmth in his voice, only a professional compliment.

DG turned back to the mirror and studied Cain's eyes in the glass. Even from where he stood she could see all of the emotion locked inside. She could also see that he was trying to hide it, and it almost killed her. She could remember their conversation so clearly from the night Lord Andres proposed …

_The fire glowed dimly in the hearth as the last embers sparked. DG sat on her bed, staring into space and waiting for him. She wasn't sure if he would show up or not after what had happened a few hours ago. He had been there. She had felt his eyes on her as Andres got down on his knee and took a ring from his pocket. She had also felt the sudden cold that came when he left the room without a word. _

_The creak of her door opening pulled DG away from her thoughts. He never bothered to knock. He was security after all._

_"Cain," she said, getting up from her bed, "Let me explain, I –"_

_"Did you say yes?"_

_"What?"_

_He took three strides and was inches from her face, a firm grip on her arm, "Did you say yes to him?"_

_DG was silent, knowing that if she told him the truth it would suddenly become all too real._

_"Answer me," he breathed into her ear, his voice a mix of anger and hurt._

_"Yes," she whispered._

_He let go of her and walked out onto the balcony. DG followed, wondering what she'd just done to the one man she truly loved._

_"I'm sorry," she said to his back, "I am, believe me I am."_

_He turned to face her after what seemed like hours, his eyes suddenly empty. "There's nothing to apologize for Princess. You're doing the right thing. You're doing what you're supposed to do. I was an idiot to think –"_

_"Don't you ever say that," DG cut him off angrily, "You're the only man I've ever loved. You're the only man I ever could love. I want to be with you Cain, please understand that. I just can't."_

_Cain watched tears started to slide down her face, "I know you can't Princess. I'm an aging ex-tin man with nothing to offer you in the world. But I understand duty, and I always knew you would have to marry a man like Lord Andres. We were just kidding ourselves. We both knew it couldn't last kid."_

_DG looked at Wyatt Cain through blurry eyes and felt a small part of her disappear. The part that had though maybe it could last._

_"So from now on," Cain said, "I'm your body guard. That's it."_

_"But Cain –"_

_He put a hand up to stop her. "And on your wedding day I won't make any trouble. I'll keep my mouth shut."_

_"But –"_

_"Stop!" Cain yelled, "Please DG stop. I told you, this is the way it's supposed to be. It's fine, I'm fine."_

_He pushed past her and was gone in an instant, leaving her broken and absolutely sure he wasn't fine._

DG wished with everything in her that she could change what she was about to do. But she knew that she couldn't – her country needed this, and one of her first lessons as royalty was learning that sometimes she would have to make sacrifices. She just never dreamed that Wyatt Cain would be one of them.

"Is everyone waiting?" she asked, smoothing out the front of her dress and straightening her tiara.

"Yes," he replied, "your sister sent me to get you. She also wanted me to give you this."

He handed her a small envelope with Az's handwriting on it and waited silently as she opened it.

_My sweet little sister,_

_This may be the last thing you want to hear on the day of your wedding, and I may be the last person you expected to hear it from, but I must speak my mind. _

_You may have thought no one noticed the way you look at Wyatt Cain. But I have. And I've noticed the way he looks at you. I know you love him DG, and I understand that for the sake of your country and your family you're trying to be strong. But I won't let go through with this if it will truly make you unhappy. _

_I promise you this little sister, if you choose to walk down the aisle to Lord Andres I trust that you have chosen the path that will make you happy. But if the music begins and you don't appear, I will have an explanation ready. I know security has been doubled today, but the east stairs leading out into the gardens are not heavily guarded. You can get to the stables from there. I think Mother and Father would understand if you needed to disappear for awhile. If not, I will make them understand. _

_As royalty we are expected to make sacrifices. But to sacrifice true love … that is something I cannot allow, not for you. Whatever you choose, I will support you._

_With all the love in the world,_

_Your sister_

DG let the letter fall from her hand.

"What is it?" Cain asked, "Is something wrong."

Standing up, DG walked back over to the mirror. The more she took in her appearance, the less she saw herself.

"Princess…?"

Suddenly she couldn't take it anymore. She could see her future, see her picture perfect marriage that was empty on the inside, see herself wasting away and putting on a façade. Nothing about the girl staring back at her dressed like Cinderella was real. Picking up a vase from the table, DG let out a scream as she threw it into the mirror. Shattered. If she went through with this she would be shattered. Sinking to the floor among the shards of glass, she began to cry.

Cain was on the floor next to her in an instant.

"I can't do it," she choked out between sobs, "I can't do it. I can't marry him. I thought I could and I thought I could make it all okay if I just pretended but I can't."

Suddenly she felt Cain's strong arms around her, holding her against him as though it was the last time.

"You don't have to," he whispered in her ear, "You don't have to. It's all right. You don't have to."

DG looked up and saw all of the feeling he had been trying to hide. The love, the hurt, the confusion, the tangled mess of everything.

"I love you," she said quietly, "I could never be with someone else."

Cain smoothed her hair and held her even tighter against his body, "It would have killed me to watch you marry him," he said, "I wanted to quit and just run, but I knew it would be hell to be away from you, even if staying meant watching you with someone else. I love you DG."

"I love you too."

Silently, Cain traced the outline of her face and let his hand slip down to the diamonds around her neck, then further still. Breathing in everything about her and daring to believe that she could still be his, he kissed her with a passion he never knew he had in him.

And DG realized that maybe happily ever after wasn't always like the storybooks. It could be better.

**A/N: please review, hope you liked it!**


End file.
